can i get married in a church?

Question

i was wondering if i could get married in a church, as my partner has been married before and had to get a divorce as his partner was cheating on him and wanted him to leave
so it wasnt his fault.
they got married in a registry office.
and ive never been married.
but ive never been christened either.
do i need to be?

hi just to let you know me or my partner do not belong to a church we have never been.

also we are not religious

Answer 1

The first wedding was not in a church, therefore not recognized by the Church (including Catholic). So the divorce should not cause a problem for getting married in a church now.

HOWEVER, if you and your fiance are not religious, I don't understand why you would want to have a religious wedding ceremony. Most churches will require that at least one of you be baptized. You need to talk to the minister of the church you want to be married in to see what their restrictions are.

I think a nice alternative would be to have the wedding in some other beautiful setting... a park, the beach, a museum, historic building, ballroom, etc. and have a non-clergy officiant.

Answer 2

Does your partner belong to a church? If he does, then you should call his preacher or priest and ask if you can be married in the church and what steps you have to take.

If your partner is Catholic, you can be married in a Catholic church if a couple of things happen first -- the people above who said it is impossible are WRONG. It's only impossible if neither one of you are Catholic. If one of you is, there is usually a way. So, supposing he's Catholic -- First of all, he has to get his first marriage annulled, which will be no problem because they got married in a registry office. This is called "Lack of Canonical Form" for a Catholic person, and it's a slam dunk and cheap, like $200.

Then he will have to get dispensation to marry you because you aren't Catholic. That should be no problem, either. If you really want to be christened, you can take classes in the Catholic Church to learn what it's all about and then you can decide if you want to be baptized Catholic or not.

If your boyfriend is NOT Catholic, the rules vary greatly according to whatever church he belongs to. Some churches will have no problem marrying you. Others may want you to take a couple of classes or go to some counseling sessions first.

If neither you nor your partner belongs to a church, and you really want to get married in a church, I suggest you start visiting churches and figure out which one you'd be willing to join. Then meet with the preacher and go on.

Answer 3

It really depends on the church you wish to marry in.
Some churches do not have a problem with someone getting remarried after a divorce or if you are not christened. I suggest that you call the office of the church and ask them your specific questions.


If you are thinking of marrying in the Catholic church you must go to classes and never have been married before unless you get a annulment.

Each religion has their own little rules and there are tons of religions therefore tons of little rules.

Good luck!

Answer 4

When you get married in a Church one or both partners are believers in that particular faith. The vows they say are in front of God and witness's that they, through their faith, will remain faithful and love each other the rest of the lives.
If your partner is Christian and wants to make this serious matrimonial move he should consult his pastor. No, you don't have to convert, but I think it helps get a mindset that marriage is not something you do when you feel like it but a serious and permanent vocation. (If your partner is divorced but didn't marry in a Catholic church or did and there was an impediment to the marriage it can be annulled and he would be free to marry again.)

Answer 5

It would be tough for you to find a Catholic church that would marry you. I would check around with them and find out if you can.

Episcopal and Lutheran churches are a little more liberal, but with many of the same beliefs. Check with them too.

Sometimes even if they won't marry you as things are now, with counseling from them and a little paperwork, they will. It also will depend on if you are willing to convert to some churches.

Your best course of action is to choose several churches you would like to have the ceremony in, and then call and ask. Every parish is different.

Answer 6

It depends on the church. You could get married in a catholic church if that is the religion you are talking about, but your partner would have to apply for an annullment through the church, and cheating is grounds for an annulment.

You would have to go through RCIA, which has just started, if you wanted to join and be married in the church.

Not sure about other religions.

Answer 7

Because you stated that you are not religious, you might have a problem convincing a church to let you use their facility.
Churches as a rule, are for religious and not spiritual/ civil ceremonies. If you arent religious, I think this would be a bit blasphemous to get married in a house of God.
I am not trying to lecture you, but maybe this would be a good time to rethink your options.

Answer 8

You don't have to be religious to have a religious ceremony. My partner and I are doing that because our families are religious, they have a lot to do with the reason we're even getting married in the first place, and the symbolism is agreeable despite our non-belief.

Catholics are strict, but most prostestant churches will marry you.

Answer 9

I'm sorry but I agree with "psstofagain". If you were not religious before why get married in a church? The catholic church won't marry you if you haven't been practicing your faith. Maybe have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful garden.

Answer 10

Depends on the church. Call the church office and ask them what needs to be done before you're able to get married there.